The field of the invention relates generally to a blank and a reinforced polygonal container formed from the blank and more particularly, to a machine for forming the reinforced polygonal container from the blank.
Containers are frequently utilized to store and aid in transporting products. These containers can be square, hexagonal, or octagonal. The shape of the container can provide additional strength to the container. For example, octagonal-shaped containers provide greater resistance to bulge over conventional rectangular, square or even hexagonal-shaped containers. An octagonal-shaped container may also provide increased stacking strength.
In at least some known cases, a blank of sheet material is used to form a container for transporting a product. More specifically, these known containers are formed by a machine that folds a plurality of panels along fold lines and secures these panels with an adhesive. Such containers may have certain strength requirements for transporting products. These strength requirements may include a stacking strength requirement such that the containers can be stacked on one another during transport without collapsing. To meet these strength requirements, at least some known containers include reinforced corners or side walls for providing additional strength including stacking strength. In at least some known embodiments, additional panels may be placed in a face-to-face relationship with another corner panel or side wall. However, it is difficult to form a container from a single sheet of material that includes multiple reinforcing panels along the corner and side walls. Accordingly, a need exists for a multi-sided reinforced container, also known as a mitered tray and/or a Meta Tray 8™ (Meta Tray 8 is a trademark of Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation located in Chicago, Ill.), formed from a single blank that can be easily formed at high-speeds. Further, a need exists for a machine that can form a reinforced polygonal container from a blank of sheet material at a high-speed.